Werner Herzog, the celebrated filmmaker who has created more than seventy features, documentaries and shorts, has an exhibition at Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. The exhibition, titled Werner Herzog – The Ecstatic Truth, runs from 18 June through 1 October 2023 and showcases Herzog's unorthodox and fascinating oeuvre.

The exhibition offers insight into the way Herzog perceives the world. The ‘ecstatic truth’ -- a concept that is central to his work -- reflects on Herzog’s fundamental quest, how he constructs and stylises images that expose this deeper level of truth: “I’m modifying facts in such a degree that they resemble truth more than reality.”

The space is built up around a selection of key scenes from Herzog’s oeuvre, with iconic images from films such as Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) and Grizzly Man (2004). In addition, documents, archival items and props from the Werner Herzog Archive are on display. The exhibition was conceived and organised in cooperation with Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin, which manages the Archive.

Herzog strives to capture the human condition in our times and, in his own words, explore “the inner landscapes of the soul”. He seeks out those places on our planet that seem most other-worldly and points his camera at people who live and survive in extreme circumstances. He feels a great affinity with the dreamers, obsessives, the solitary rebels and the marginalised, who for whatever reasons stray from the well-trodden path. He comes across as a cool observer, but one with incredible empathy. His deep interest in rushing technological developments also inspires many of his films.

The exhibition is curated by Jaap Guldemond (director of exhibitions at Eye). He selected films and materials that illustrate Herzog's unique vision and style. He also organised an extensive film programme that covers Herzog's entire career, from his early shorts to his latest documentaries. The film programme will include introductions by Herzog himself, as well as by some of his collaborators and experts on his work.

Eye Filmmuseum organises three exhibitions per year in their large exhibition space. The focus is usually on makers who venture beyond the boundaries of cinema and Hollywood, such as Chantal Akerman, Jan Svankmajer, Bela Tarr and Andrei Tarkovsky. This is the first time that Eye has collaborated with Werner Herzog himself, who has been closely involved in the development of the exhibition.

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